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But he couldn’t do any of those things Al he could do was let her walk away and pray that someday she’d find a man she could love--a man she could trust
Caleb didn’t love her Lana kept teling herself that over and over as she hid in the bathroo not to cry
He was just infatuated It was just the sex talking Or the adrenaline rush It was just pilow talk that al ave women to keep them interested in sex
It had to be, because the possibility of anything else was just too frightening
Caleb didn’t love her He felt guilty over being powerless to protect her in Armenia He felt protective of her now because it was his job He was just confused
It would pass He’d realize he rong, and things would be fine again No harht
Lana knew the dae was already done He’d said the words, and they couldn’t be taken back He couldn’t unring the bel
"Damn it!" she cursed at the stainless-steel door This couldn’t be happening Hoas she going to protect herself froave her?
Hoas she going to resist letting herself daydrea bleak?
As long as he didn’t love her, there was no way she’d let herself love hi it safely locked up in the cage that pain of loss and rejection had constructed Nothing could get to her as long as she protected her heart She wouldn’t be vulnerable She’d be safe She’d be in control
She had to keep hold of what little control she had left in her life, protect it ferociously She couldn’t let Caleb, or any s she wasn’t strong enough to feel Like love
As long as he didn’t love her, she didn’t have to fear loving hi herself
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
D id you do what I told you?" asked the modulated voice of Denny’s boss
Denny wiped the acid taste froain "Yeah," he said in a voiceinto the toilet for the past twenty minutes The combination of too much alcohol and his boss’s bizarre instructions had turned his stoet the sloppy crayon drawings out of his head Flowers and dogs and race cars, al scribbled in with garish colors The building he’d broken into--First Light Foundation--was plastered with thes that made no sense and crooked clay sculptures formed by clumsy little hands
"Good boy Now there’s only onewave roled over hiain He eating and shaking and could barely hold the phone to his ear
"What?"
The voice gave aI just need you to go pick up your last pay to hear the catch The h to pay off Bruce, which er With the threat of broken legs gone, there was nothing that freaky robot could do to convince Denny to keep working for hi’s Diner Be there in five minutes"
"But that’s a fifteen-, then If you’re late, the money wil no doubt be found by so storabbed his keys and flew out the door He ran six stoplights getting there, but hein a little paper sack behind the toilet Denny opened it with trehtmare was over Bruce would be paid off, he’d never work for Mr Robot again, and he was going to pick up and move the hel out of this place--so far away no one could find hirass next to Grant The evening air was stil hot, but at least the sun was no longer overhead
"Any word on the sniper?" asked Caleb
Grant sed a bite of one of the sandwiches that the foundation’s cook, Sharon, had provided to al the workers who had stayed to finish setting up for tomorrow
There was stil plenty to be done before nightfal, but they were on schedule "CIA’s working on hiotten hi"
"Gee That’s helpful"
Grant shrugged "The job is the same either way Keep her safe"
"Nice and simple," said Caleb with more sarcasm than he’d intended
"Where is she?"
"Inside Avoiding h alert"
"Which is why I’m surprised you’re not at her side"
"I don’t want to ain" God, he sounded pitiful
"What happened?"
Caleb hesitated He wasn’t one to talk about things like this, but if anyone kneas going through a woman’s head, it would be Grant
"What does it mean when you tel a woman you love her and she acts like you just threatened toto soundwith a ret that he couldn’t shake
Grant raised an amused brow "Are you sure you didn’t accidentaly say you have herpes?"
Caleb roled his eyes at the lame joke "Pretty sure"